Saibari's 70-second strike sinks Scotland and dents knockout hopes

Scotland's bid to reach the knockout stages for the first time suffered a heavy blow as Morocco won 1-0 at Gillette Stadium, a result settled almost before it had begun. Ismael Saibari's strike after just 70 seconds was the fastest goal of the 2026 World Cup and Morocco's quickest ever at the tournament.

A nightmare start

Grant Hanley was caught high up the pitch and Brahim Diaz slid a well-weighted pass into Saibari, who raced through and slammed his finish into the roof of the net past Angus Gunn. Knowing victory would have guaranteed a place in the last 32, Scotland were rocked early and never fully recovered their composure.

Penalty claims and frustration

Steve Clarke's side felt aggrieved to be denied at least one penalty shout, and Scott McTominay and Lyndon Dykes went close late on. But Scotland finished the match without a single shot on target, a damning statistic against a disciplined Morocco defence marshalling their lead expertly.

The defeat left Scotland on three points and needing something from their final fixture against Brazil to keep alive hopes of progressing, most likely as one of the best third-placed teams.